Outlays for Commonwealth Games stepped up to Rs. 3,472 crore

October 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - National airline Air India will be the official carrier for the Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhi in October 2010. The airline would fly athletes to India from other Commonwealth countries for the event.

July 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With the 2010 Commonwealth Games less than 15 months away, the Delhi government Friday unveiled a slew of measures for improving greenery, streetscaping and beautification around stadia in the national capital during the event. The government's Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) headed by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit cleared 15 proposals worth Rs.398 crore (Rs.3.98 billion), including Rs.272 crore (Rs 2.72 billion) for work related to the 2010 Games.

July 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Union Government has estimated Rs 98650 million for the up coming Commonwealth Games, at Delhi. Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Pratik Patil stated in a written reply to Congress MP Ramchandra Khuntia in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

July 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has assured release of Rs.500 crore (Rs.5 billion) for timely completion of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) projects, Mayor Kanwar Sain said Thursday. The mayor met Dikshit Thursday to discuss the MCD's annual outlay for 2009-10.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday increased the 2009-10 budgetary outlay for the national capital by over 200 percent to about Rs.2,500 crore (Rs.25 billion). The city will get more funds for housing, infrastructure and for basic services to the urban poor.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Out of a total plan outlay of Rs.12,165 crore for the civil aviation ministry, a sum of Rs.190 crore will be provided as budgetary support to various organisations under the ministry, the government said Monday after Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presented the annual budget in Parliament. Out of the Rs.190 crore, India's airport developer, Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been allocated Rs.99.15 crore for development of airports.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Highlights of the union budget for the current fiscal presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the Lok Sabha Monday: - Plan expenditure up 34 percent to Rs.1,025,838 crore, non plan spend up 37 percent - Total spending increased to Rs.10.2 lakh crore - Rs.420 crore for new IITs and NITs - Commonwealth Games allocated Rs.3,472 crore - National unique identification numbers to start rolling out in 12-18 months - Paramilitary forces such as CRPF to get 100,000 homes - Banking services in under-banked areas to be increased, scheme allocated Rs.100 crore - Agriculture debt waiver extended by six months - Outlay for national rural health mission increased by Rs.2,057 crore from the Rs.12,070 crore provided in the interim budget - Allocation towards National Rural Employment Guarantee Act increased by Rs.39,100 crore - Allocation for Bharat Nirman scheme increased by 45 percent - Rs.20 billion for rural housing - Rural electrification scheme to get Rs.7,000 crore more - Tax department to work on early introduction of Saral 2 forms - Stimulus for print media extended from June 13 to Dec 31 - Rs.1,000 crore to accelerate irrigation projects - Agriculture development fund increased from Rs.2.87 lakh crore to Rs.3.25 lakh crore - Market development assistance scheme for exporters increased by 148 percent to Rs.124 crore - Pre-shipment interest subvention set at 2 percent for textile exporters - Sufficient funds for infrastructure development - Allocation for national highways development stepped up by 23 percent - Allocation for urban poor schemes to be raised to Rs.39,730 crore - LNG infrastructure to be expanded - Allocation for Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission raised by 87 percent to Rs.12,887 crore

June 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Delhi Government on Monday revealed through its budget that it would primarily focus its attention on transport sector, urban development and water and sanitation in the year ahead. The highest share in the budget 2009-10 has been earmarked for transport sector which was given Rs 3,069 crore (about 31 per cent) followed by Urban Development with Rs 1,524 crore (15 per cent) and Water and Sanitation with Rs 1,366 crore (14 per cent).

June 18th, 2009 New Delhi steps up Commonwealth Games securityNEW DELHI — Indian sports minister Manohar Singh Gill says organizers are ready to counter the risk of a terrorist attack during the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi next year. "Every road, stadium and car park will be centrally monitored," Gill said Thursday.

June 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - BSES, one of the two private power distribution firms in the national capital, is setting up a Rs.400-million ($8 million) electricity grid that will exclusively serve the upcoming athletes village for the Commonwealth Games next year. "We will provide uninterrupted power supply to the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

May 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Suresh Kalmadi has said that the executive board of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) expressed satisfaction with the games infrastructure coming up in the city. "As you are all aware the CGF was here for the whole of last week.

May 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) security delegation arrived here on Monday to inspect all the facilities and the stadiums before the games to be held in 2010. A meeting took place at the Delhi Secretariat where Delhi gave its presentation to the delegation members.

March 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Sport Minister M.S Gill Monday said security concerns raised by Commonwealth Games officials were 'hypothetical' and that there need not be any apprehensions over the safety and security during the 2010 New Delhi Games. Gill was reacting to reports in Australian media quoting Australian Commonwealth Games Association CEO Perry Crosswhite as saying that a security assessment one month before the Games would be crucial in deciding the fate of the event.

February 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Olympian P.T. Usha Tuesday said the arrangements for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games must be completed on war-footing while a parliamentary panel report said the arrangements for hosting the mega event were inadequate.

January 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Delhi would host the greenest games in the world in 2010 (Commonwealth Games), Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Tuesday said. 'The Thyagraj Stadium and Shivaji Stadium, which are being reconstructed, would be developed as green buildings,' she said while interacting with members of the Green Council at Delhi Secretariat.